City planner

The Munster Express described it as a “surprise friendly” and an opportunity for Micky Adams “to bed in players, having signed virtually a whole new team during the summer”. Hogwash, according to the Leicester manager.

“Why did I arrange that game in Waterford last Sunday? That was me ******* up the players’ weekend,” Adams explained from behind his office desk on Friday. “Why? Because they ****** up my weekend the week before.”

An own goal from Ben Thatcher and two goals from Juan Pablo Angel gave Aston Villa a 3-0 lead inside 16 minutes. Defeat by 3-1 — despite his team’s resolute second-half effort, despite Leicester’s summer transfer kitty for “a whole new team” in a whole new division totalling no more than the £3m that Southampton paid for Kevin Phillips, who thwarted a Foxes victory on the opening day — hurt acutely. Whatever other people’s expectations of Leicester may be, Adams